Other themes

Where Art Happens: Outside the Studio

in ,

“If you are committed to creating, it is up to you to find a way. It is up to you to make it happen. Make art where you are.” - Emily Lynn Downey

Check out Emily’s blog post this morning. I love what she says! While I am so crazy grateful for my studio upstairs, creating is mobile! Take it with you! Heather and I just traveled to Nashville for a fabulous workshop which filled me back up. I gave myself permission to paint my own pets, make gifts not work to sell, work in oils which I don’t do very often and absorb a workshop as a student which always makes me a better teacher. I love that Emily is creating at her son’s baseball games! Creating in unexpected places activates the magic in the muggle world. It inspires others. Be the creative that you want to see in the world!

Kitchen Make Over

in

I love a good make over! Heather and I have done about 6 flip houses a year for the last few years, but nothing feels better than finally finishing our own kitchen! We redid the floors over 2 years ago- ba-bye track house white tile. But now we have finished redoing everything else! So grateful!!

Besides being an artist, I am a realtor with Coldwell Banker and a Certified Home Staging Expert. If you would like to know more, please visit https://christinepeloquin.cbintouch.com/about.

When In Doubt, Add a Third Eye

in ,

Sometimes, a painting just needs to be revisited and addressed further. This happens to me more than I readily admit but this painting was an obvious case. The first attempt was a piece called Speechless that I painted for my solo show Journey to Bliss (at Arts on Douglas Gallery in New Smyrna.) The peaceful woman on the left represented how I try to live my life; completely calm and in the present moment, absorbing and cherishing every moment for the gift that it is. The woman on the right represented how I could freeze, become speechless and loose my voice when confronted with anger, hostility and non-acceptance by a certain person from my past. This was yet another classic example of my art as therapy!

Speechless, first round

Speechless, first round

The more I stared at Speechless, once it was back in my studio, the more I wanted to change it. Was it because it was about being passive or feeling helpless? Or was it because the painting itself just didn't work. What would I say about the piece if it was a student or a fellow artist? The composition is split in half down the middle, leaving it too awkward, too clumsy, too bright, too this, too that. After a solid hour of staring at it, I figured it out. I broke my own rule about components in odd numbers. You can't divide a piece down the middle with only two fragments! So that was the solution; when in doubt, add a third eye. 

In the traditions of the chakras, the third eye is the center of intuition and foresight. The function of the third eye chakra is driven by the principle of openness and imagination. This third eye may not have been on her forehead, but it symbolizes the reflection and the awareness that both my painting and my predicament were missing! I love this painting so much more now. Fixed and that much closer to healed!

Speechless Again, second round

Speechless Again, second round

Other third eye paintings I love! 

Sense

in ,

I think a lot. We all do. Our brains, like our hearts, never take a break. My teachers like Tolle and Byron Katie remind me that we are not these thoughts that spiral around at 3am, but the peace and awareness that underlies them. That got me thinking (of course) about the difference between intuition and ego. So my questions are, when you sense something, can you trust and know what is your intuition and what is your ego? Can you sense your own awareness? Are you aware that you are aware? Namaste

Sense, 48" x 60"

Love By Design

in

I am thrilled to be donating 25-  18" x 24" posters to be sold at the Love By Design Event Hosted by AIGA Orlando to raise money for the families of the victims of the Orlando shooting at Pulse. All money collected will be donated to oneorlando.org.  The event will be held Saturday, June 25 from 2-8pm at 2424 E. Robinson Street, Orlando. See below for more details or here. 

‪#‎AIGAtogether‬ ‪#‎OrlandoUnited‬ ‪#‎lovebydesign‬

In response to the tragedy at Pulse, AIGA Orlando is inviting our entire city to Love by Design, an event that will inspire and empower us all to stand against discrimination. 

Held Saturday, June 25 from 2-8pm at 2424 E. Robinson Street (also known as the Tasty Tuesdays food truck location behind the Milk District bars), Love By Design is for civic leaders, creative professionals and anyone else who cares about the future of our city. Representatives from the LGBTQ and Muslim communities will share their stories as we begin the process of healing from our collective heartbreak. Together, we will determine how to move forward as a city that lives with more love every day. 

Even more than a reflection on this tragic event, Love by Design will be an all-day celebration of The City Beautiful's talent, diversity and resilience. Local artists and designers will donate original work for sale and auction. Food and entertainment will be provided by local musicians and food trucks. Proceeds will benefit OneOrlando, the fund formed by the mayor’s office to respond to the needs of our community in the wake of the Pulse Tragedy. 

AIGA Orlando is a professional association for design and creative professionals. Formed in 2000, the association currently has about 250 members, and grew 68% in 2015 alone. Their mission is to nurture a thriving creative community and serve as a hub for creatives in the area.

New Puppy Paintings!

in

Friends of mine on fb know.....we got 2 new puppies! Here are the first two installments from my new line called Sofie-Ellie! Sold. haha to the two cutest little guys guys I know......

How Long Does It Take?

in , , ,

The number one question that I am asked by both art patrons and art students is “How long does it take you to do a painting?”  I always respond with “my entire life.” Everything I have ever learned got me to that moment when I created that piece. It’s simple.

I have created pieces that have literally flown out of me. With the music cranked and a song in my heart, I seriously knew to get out of my own way, not think at all, and just draw and paint. Those moments are simply bliss. Those paintings and those moments are why I’m an artist. And I’m sorry to report, that those moments, so precious and sought after, are fleeting and not my norm.

What is normal and expected, is the journey back to that bliss. And I look forward to that with as much eagerness and desire. For when I can’t figure out a piece, I know that I am learning something new. When I can’t draw a smile with the exactness that I want, I know that frustration needs to be replaced with tenderness. When I get so exasperated and collage over a painting that I gave up on, I know that I am willing to let go and not hold every brush stroke as sacred.  Being an artist is about practice, experimenting and effort.  Struggle is where I learn.  Uncertainty is where I grow.

I encourage all my students to simply just keep working.  Get excited and make things! A close friend never judges himself on his last piece but on the last 10 or 20. See your growth with wide eyes.  Learn from all aspects of your existence and do not give up no matter how frustrated or humbled. Every artist was first an amateur.

So how long did Time take me to collage, draw and then paint? I started it sometime around 3 years old when I proclaimed I was going to be an artist and I finished it right here.

Time, 48" x 60"

Time, 48" x 60"